12 Icy Cool Self-Care Ideas for Winter To Warm Your Body And Soul
Today is all about self-care and YES, you are SO worth it! Stay with me and get inspired by 12 self-care ideas for winter to help you fight that winter blues!
This blog post is part of our series ‘Self-Care Ideas Throughout the Year’, so make sure to check out the other blog posts too. Direct links to all other blog posts are waiting for you at the end of this blog post.
Table of Contents
Self-care is something that should always be on your schedule, but during winter times I think we could all do with a little bit of extra TLC.
What is self-care?
Self-care is pretty much anything that you do for yourself to contribute to your physical, mental and spiritual well-being. So if you are aiming to live a healthy and balanced life, self-care plays an important part in this!
When we practise self-care we are mindful of our needs. And when we take care of ourselves we are in a better place and we spend more time in the present moment.
I am sure you have come across the saying “You can’t pour from an empty cup.” by Joseph Fleming. And when you think about it for a moment, there is a lot of truth in it. The more content and happy you are within yourself, the better you will show up for yourself and also the other people around you.
Let’s get ready to spread the LOVE and let’s talk self-care! Below I am sharing 12 self-care ideas that always help me to get through winter. See if something resonates with you and maybe there are one or two self-care ideas that you can integrate into your day-to-day life as well. Enjoy the read!
12 self-care ideas for winter
Self-care ideas for winter #1: Create your winter wonderland
With the days getting shorter and temperatures falling, we tend to spend more time inside. Allow yourself to get comfortable and prep your home for some cosy winter evenings.
Bring out the fairy lights, get yourself some candles, tea lights, maybe a wax melt tealight burner with a nice winter scent, additional pillows, some cosy blankets, etc anything that helps you to feel more comfortable in your home.
Think winter wonderland, let your creativity flow and spread some fairy dust in your home!
Self-care ideas for winter #2: Enjoy a walk in nature
Nature is healing! Studies have shown that spending time outside helps to decrease anxiety and depression. Besides this, a walk outside can also boost your creativity and productivity.
So wrap up warm, maybe pick up a cinnamon-spiced latte along the way and enjoy a nice long walk in the park.
Self-care ideas for winter #3: Baking, because home-made treats are the BEST
I am probably a bit biased here, as I am originally from Germany and Christmas biscuits are BIG in Germany, but wherever you are in the world, these little treats are the perfect addition to a hot beverage any time of the day.
Pick a recipe, head out to get the ingredients and enjoy some baking fun in your kitchen! Maybe invite a friend over to join you. Keep in mind, the love is in the detail 😉 decorating the biscuits is the best part if you ask me.
These little treats are also ideal for last-minute gift ideas! Put them into a small tin, a glass jar or a nice gift bag, add a personal note and spread the love!
Self-care ideas for winter #4: Start a Gratitude Journal
The lack of light during the wintertime can sometimes feel a bit heavy on the soul. A gratitude journal is a great way to help you to keep your focus on the positive things in life.
Before you go to bed, look back at your day and write down 3 things you are truly grateful for. That could be occasions, people you have in your life, etc anything that brings a smile to your face and warms your heart.
Feel free to go back to your gratitude journal whenever you need it.
If you would like to know more about gratitude journaling, head over to my blog post How to Start a Gratitude Journal. You will find some tips on how to get started as well as some gratitude journal prompts.
Self-care ideas for winter #5: Poker Night with your friends
Spending time with friends increases the sense of belonging, it boosts happiness, reduces stress and supports our mental well-being! Human interaction is so important.
Invite your friends over for a poker night. If you wanna go full out, give it a Las Vegas theme! Dress up, get your cocktail shaker out, prepare some snacks and play a round of poker together!
If poker is not for you, how about some good old board games instead?
Self-care ideas for winter #6: Take a break from life
Whether you need a break from all your social engagements, or you had a stressful week/day at work, enjoy some quality time with yourself!
First of all, switch off your mobile phone! Pour yourself a nice and relaxing bath with all your favourite bath bubbles and essential oils, light some candles and get ready to soak and destress.
For the rest of the evening, take some time to journal, read a book or hop straight onto your couch and enjoy a movie. Simple, I know, but it’s the simple things in life that matter most if you ask me! And yes, get yourself your favourite takeaway!
Self-care ideas for winter #7: Unleash your creative side
Knowing what you like doing creatively is important as it is an expression of who we are. In addition to this, creativity increases happiness and opens up the mind.
Get started with that drawing course, the ukulele lessons, learn how to make candles, knitting, or anything that allows you to bring out your creative side.
Go ahead and give it a go! There are tons of free resources out there that can help you to get started.
Self-care ideas for winter #8: Read THE book
I think we all have been there, we keep talking about this book, the ONE book that comes up in every conversation. Do you know which book I am talking about?
Make it happen, and finally read THE book you have been talking about for so long! I truly believe that everything that comes our way shows up for a reason, even THE book. Time to find out?
Self-care ideas for winter #9: Enjoy Stillness and check in with yourself
Find a quiet corner in your home, sit down and make yourself comfortable. Close your eyes and draw your attention to your breath.
Take a few deep inhales and exhales through the nose and simply notice the air travelling in and out of your body. Notice how your body feels and notice if there is anything that you need right now.
Self-care ideas for winter #10: Movement
Movement strengthens your body, boosts your energy, helps us to sleep better and yes, movement releases a lot of endorphins aka happiness!
So keep moving friends! Go for a run, go to the gym, maybe join a tai chi class.
If you are into yoga, check out my weekly schedule. I would love to see you in one of my classes!
Self-care ideas for winter #11: Strengthen your Immune System
A great way to do this is by adding smoothies and booster shots to your diet. It really doesn’t take much time either, it’s all about the right prepping routine!
Add additional fruits and veggies to your weekly shop. On Sunday afternoon get prepping and cut the fruits and vegetables that you need for your smoothies. Put them in freezer bags and into your freezer. This way you are organised for a full week with a fresh smoothie every day!
Self-care ideas for winter #12: Have a 5-minute dance party in your kitchen
Whenever you need a quick energy boost, have a 5-minute dance party with yourself. This will really change your whole mood within seconds, trust me! Pick your favourite tune, put up the volume (sorry neighbours) and shake it all out.
As mentioned at the beginning of this blog post, this is a self-care series. You can find direct links to all other blog posts of the series ‘Self-Care Ideas Throughout the Year’ below:
- 12 Self-Care Ideas for Spring
- Splish, splash – 12 Self-Care Ideas for Summer
- 12 Self-Care Ideas for Autumn – Let’s get Cozy!
Keep in mind that every minute you invest in yourself will pay off! And who is more important than yourself? Look after yourself and keep showing up for yourself warrior, you got this!
Do you have any self-care rituals for winter? Feel free to share them below in the comments, I would love to hear from you.
Enjoy the winter season!
Featured image:Photo by freestocks on Unsplash
These are such lovely ideas! And such perfect timing because I recently published a post about autumn self care as well! I especially love what you said about boosting your immune system. Taking care of your health is such an important part of self care that everyone seems to forget about, especially during cold and flu season in the winter!
Thanks so much for your comment Julianne!
Yes, I couldn’t agree more 😉
I definitely set the atmosphere for my self-care. I’ll have candles burning and a soft blanket with my chai tea. When at work I have a fireplace video going on YouTube since I can’t have candles and I’m in my happy place.
Love this Tamara, thank you so much for your comment! That is such a great idea 😉
I will keep this in mind!
These are great tips. I totally agree that there is definitely nothing quite like homemade baked goods.
Homemade baked goods are definitely the BEST 😉
Thanks for stopping by and leaving a comment, Linda!